grip tape on the fret buttons, anyone else?

[whathapp]

Being a newb to the GH/RB genre, I'm still in the process of learning to play. As I've started to get into expert, my brain cant react fast enough to my fingers when playing the guitar, specifally when the 5th fret button comes into play
I know that I need to learn to move my fingers up and down the frets but for me the bumps on the 3rd and 5th fret aren't "bumpy" enough to make me position my fingers correctly.
To solve this problem I realized I can act quicker if i had a more disctinct feel on my frets so i went to a skate store nearby and picked up green, yellow and orage grip tape and cut it out to the shape of the frets. This has defintely helped my learning curve in learning expert and up, kinda like training wheels. I'm sure I'll eventually remove the tape when I'm comfortable enough playing.

I think i may have to do it over again, since my fingers are starting to get scratched up while playing, so I think ill just cut strips and place those on the fret to reduce the abrasive feel, maybe I'll try masking tape.

Has anyone else done something to their frets?

[ForTheSteel]

grip tape seems like a good way to build calluses for playing real guitar.

[Mushroom]

Seems like it's going to hurt in he long run, but hey, whatever works for you

[batsu336]

Grip tape might chew up your fingers a little unless you already have your "sewing calluses" from playing guitar. I can do the old finger on a hot stove for a bit before it gets through my callus to tell me I'm an idiot. Maybe try grip tape only on the first and fifth frets so you have a reference point at either end without looking and can get you hand back in position quicker. If you tape all the frets you will still not be able to tell them apart without looking, which will slow you down.

[Eastwood]

Grip tape might chew up your fingers a little unless you already have your "sewing calluses" from playing guitar. I can do the old finger on a hot stove for a bit before it gets through my callus to tell me I'm an idiot. Maybe try grip tape only on the first and fifth frets so you have a reference point at either end without looking and can get you hand back in position quicker. If you tape all the frets you will still not be able to tell them apart without looking, which will slow you down.

hehehe... I use my guitar calluses to pick up hot things for a coupla seconds, too...

The strat's buttons are set up to where you can do a sliding motion, grip taping the whole button will mess you up. Maybe a small amount of grip tape would help.

[whathapp]

yea, i've gone ahead and removed the tape that was covering the entire 1st, 3rd and 5th fret.

I cut it up into two thin strips and made X's on the 1st, 3rd and 5th, feels much better now, my "finger print" area of the finger is no longer in direct contact with grip, so the thin strips are just enough to act as reference points.

Doesnt feel abrasive at all and sliding isnt much of an issue anymore

hmm, i'm going to try felt that i had left over from making the foam/mousepad/felt pads that i placed over my drums(by the way, barely any noise made with that combo of materials, just masked taped the drums before placing the pads to help tighten up) it should help take away the abrasiveness from the grip

[buckeye96]

I have a hard time figuring out which frets my fingers are on after a bit of spirited guitar play. I put a small bit of duct tape on two of the frets just to give myself some hint of what frets I should be on. Hasn't worked too well so I need to figure something else out.

[SoKGiX]

i think thats a good idea, if anything i'd just put it on the 2nd fret, so i know if i'm 4 fingering the upper or lower portion

[whathapp]

I experimented and tried masking tape and left over felt but I just didnt play as well as when I had the grip on the frets, im sticking with thin strips of grip